01.02.2020 | 2:53 AM | BREA – A fire at an aerospace manufacturing plant involving hazardous chemicals prompted evacuations and left a building damaged, early Thursday morning.
Authorities responded to reports of a fire at Bristol Industries, an aerospace manufacturing plant, located in the 600 block of East Lambert Road around 2:53 AM.
Crews arriving on scene located a large-scale manufacturing plant with heavy smoke coming from a building to the rear where anodizing processes occur.
Warning signs on the building indicated hazardous materials were inside that should not be mixed with water prompting firefighters to evacuate the building.
Despite the warnings, the building’s sprinkler system activated and was holding the fire into check.
Runoff from the sprinkler water mixed with the chemicals, reported to be nitric acid, resulted in acidic runoff that burned concrete and headed to nearby storm drains.
A second-alarm fire and full hazmat response was requested to contain the runoff and any potential hazards inside the building.
Hazmat teams contained the runoff and evacuated nearby apartments, but no injuries were reported and the threat was mitigated by 7:30 AM.
Officials reported that the inside of the building where the fire occurred was extensively damaged.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.